Archive News | Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park

The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa, has announced that the Treaty to formally establish one of the world's largest transfrontier conservation areas, the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP), will be signed in December this year.

Minister Moosa said South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki, Mozambican President Joachim Chissano, and Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe would sign the Treaty on 9 December in Mozambique. The date for the signing ceremony was decided at last week's quarterly bilateral meeting between Presidents Mbeki and Chissano.

The signing ceremony will seal a two-year process of intensive preparations for the establishment of the 35 00 000-hectare park, which will span over South Africa's Kruger National Park, Mozambique's Limpopo National Park and the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe.

It will also mark another success story in the establishment of a number of transfontier parks in the Southern African region. For example: Ai-Ais/ Richtersveld with Namibia, Maloti-Drakensberg with Lesotho and Kgalagadi Transfontier with Botswana.

South Africa has launched a three-year operation to release thousands of wildlife from Kruger National Park (KNP) to Mozambique's Limpopo National Park (LNP) as part of the development of the Transfrontier Park.

The first translocation was conducted in October last year when Minister Moosa handed over 40 Elephants to the Mozambican Minister of Tourism, Mr Fernando Sumbana. To date, 1 130 animals have been translocated.

'The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park is a demonstration of the three governments' commitment to the sustainable development of the African continent through regional co-operation, the cornerstone of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD),' said Minister Moosa.

'The Park will open to the world the biggest ever animal kingdom, increasing foreign investment into the region and creating much-needed jobs for our people, further acting as a symbol of peace and unity for the African people'.

Item supplied by SANParks Communications Office. Groenkloof.

President Nelson Mandela

Former president Nelson Mandela has called on the people of the world to 'rid themselves' of the scourge of terrorism and use the newly-named Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park as an example of lasting global peace. The park is a cross-border game reserve between South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Mandela told an international gathering after the release of the first of 1000 elephants into the Mozambique side of the park, that the world could use the park as an example of how to improve relations between nations.
'We face the prospect of conflict on a world scale. The peace park's initiative is an example, though, of how to improve relations between nations.

Mandela said the park was part of Africa's success story. 'The world can learn from us how to use our natural heritage to the benefit of all.' The Elephant translocation programme is part of a tri-national environmental collaboration between the three southern African nations.

The announcement of the new name came after discussions between the three countries.The 35 000 square kilometres park will be governed by an international treaty, which will be signed by the ministers of environment from the three countries.

The project is expected to inject major revenue when the park is opened. - Sapa - Sabc